


The Exiled Princess & the Abandoned Dragon

by SKYAN



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, Female My Unit | Byleth, Hurt/Comfort, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:07:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23872090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SKYAN/pseuds/SKYAN
Summary: A princess fell in love with a heartless monster. The monster served her till she died.Three hundred years later, a princess falls in love with the heartless monster again.Fate was cruel to those cursed with immortality.---Slight AU. Inspired by artwork from @Tianlang_Jun.Dragonknight Byleth is soul food. Ratings may change.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 21
Kudos: 230





	1. A Fated Reunion

“…”

“You shouldn’t be here.”

Byleth said as she stepped from the shadow of the trees and placed herself in front of the two children running into the woods behind her. The young blonde boy behind the girl skidded to a stop, but still collided into the girl’s back, pushing her into Byleth’s scaled body. Byleth flinched at the contact but held her ground so the girl would not fall.

Familiar amethyst orbs stared right back at her, sparkling with curiosity and innocence. The child’s brown hair flowing in the breeze as she glanced at the scales covering the stranger’s body. Byleth’s eyes widened at girl in front of her, so familiar... yet so unfamiliar.

“Do you live here?” The young boy behind the girl asked, his head peaking from behind the girl’s shoulder.

“I do,” Byleth pulled her gaze from the captivating eyes in front of her and responded, “But it is no place for children like yourself. Surely your parents have talked about the dangerous beasts that lurk in the woods.”

The young boy grinned at the stranger and took out a small jewelled dagger from his belt, holding it out to her like a trophy, “I have this to protect me and my sister, I am not afraid!”

Byleth forced a smile at the innocent boy. Her heart ached, knowing the boy will grow up strong and likely come back to the woods as another man attempting to slay her, like the thousands before him. Human’s lust for her blood and death bring many to her doorstep.

“My father says a dragon live in the woods!” The boy pointed to the trees behind Byleth, “A big evil silver dragon! Have you seen it?”

“Father says bad people live in the woods too,” the girl finally spoke, her eyes never leaving the woman in front of her, “Are you a bad person?”

Byleth’s eyes locked onto the girl in front of her but did not speak. Her silence speaking for itself. But she did not think of herself as a bad person. Hell, she was barely even a person. Her scales covering her body like a suit of armour… No, she was not a bad person. She was just an abomination. Thrown aside and branded evil by society after her time was up. Forced to hide in the woods from those who wish to use her, and from those who wish her harm. She used to think she was good. She no longer think of anything anymore. Time has washed away all thoughts.

“If you guys run around in the woods, you will get lost,” Byleth said as she placed her armoured hand gently on the girl’s small head, the familiarity of the girl’s eyes bring back a rare warmth feeling she once felt, “The sun will fall soon. This place will not be safe for children.”

Looking at the boy and gesturing towards the dagger in his hands with a pointed look, “There are beasts and darkness here not even your blade can protect you from.”

As if to prove her point, a growl sounded behind her. Byleth dug her heel into the ground and spun around, pushing the children behind her. The boy yelped as he fell back from the unexpected movement.

“Dimitri!” The girl gasped as she helped the small blonde back up. Holding the boy’s hand tightly with one hand, and clenching tightly to Byleth’s cloak with the other. Her eyes widening at the emerging beast in fear.

Without warning, the beast jumped from the shadows and leaped at the scaled woman, gnarling jaws snapped at her neck. Byleth widened her stance and braced herself as she sneaked her arms underneath the boar-like beast. Using its own momentum against itself, Byleth lifted the beast up and flung the wild boar against a tree nearby.

“Up a tree!” Byleth grabbed Dimitri by his shirt collar and pushed the boy up the closest hanging tree branch. “Go!” She shouted at him as the beast regained its footing and ran right back towards her, its red eyes glowing in anger.

Dimitri held on to the tree branch as tightly as he could and tried to pull himself up, but he was not strong enough yet. He was still young, his combat and strength training have barely begun. The muscles in his small arms were weak and soft. The only thing holding him fast to the branch was the adrenaline.

“Dimitri, your dagger!” The girl pointed to the dagger in his hand and gestured with her arms, imitating her words, “Use the dagger as a hold!”

Grunting, the young boy let loose his hand with the dagger with a yell, stabbed it into the wood above him with as much strength as he could muster. The dagger made a small cut into the branch but did not hold its place. Dimitri tried again, and again, and again. His hold on the branch slipping more and more with each attempt.

“I… can’t…! Edelgard, help me! I’m… slipping…”

Taking a quick glance at the woman to her side, wrestling with the beast. The girl took a deep breath and jumped up. Using the body of the tree as hold, the girl pushed her foot against the trunk and kicked herself off as she reached for the tree branch Dimitri was hanging onto.

“Hold on!” Edelgard shouted over the loud snarling sounds the wild beast made as she pulled herself up the branch and carefully climbed towards the boy.

Unlike Dimitri, Edelgard’s training started early. Her father resisted at first, but Edelgard was keen to learn how to defend herself after a failed kidnapping attempt on her last year. Despite her heritage being more of a symbolic figure of the empire in this age, the blood that ran in her veins was still considered royal. Her bloodline was still valued above others. Of course, she was by no means a fighter yet – she could barely hold up a sword long enough for proper practice. However, she already began the training on her body, so she definitely held an advantage in body strength compared to her half-brother.

Byleth’s ears twitched at the mention of the name she once whispered in love. A name so lost in time and faded memories, she was sure she misheard. Sparing a quick look at the children by the tree, Byleth fought hard to try and keep the beast’s jaw from closing onto her face. She could not help but relax ever so slightly at the sight of the girl pulling the boy up onto the branch in safety. As if sensing her distracted, the beast quickly pulled back its head, loosening Byleth’s hold, before snapping forward again.

Thanks to her fast reflexes built over centuries of war and combat, Byleth managed to swerve her head to the side just in time to dodge the attack. In a fluid motion, the woman hung tight onto the neck of the beast, pulling its head towards the ground and flipped the beast over her shoulder and away from her. The miscalculated throw sent the beast flying against the tree the children were on, the impact pushing Edelgard off balance and forced the girl back down onto the ground with a soft thud.

The beast jumped back up onto its feet and turned its burning eyes onto the small body of Edelgard as she tried to push herself back up onto her feet. A snarl ripped from its throat and the beast launched itself towards its new target.

Without thinking, Byleth darted towards the girl and pushed the child back down onto the ground as she placed her body between the child and the beast. The long sharp teeth dug deep into the woman’s shoulder, its jaws closed around the flesh underneath the scales. Byleth forced her cry back down as her eyes shut in a futile attempt to shield her body from the pain.

With a shout, Byleth pushed herself off the ground and finally unsheathed her sword. Flipping the steel blade around in her hand, the woman stabbed the beast holding tight behind her shoulder. As the teethed hold on her finally loosened, Byleth twisted her sword and pushed the beast off her as the body finally stilled.

“Are you hurt?” Byleth asked as she crouched down next to the wide eyed girl.

Edelgard shook her head, her lips unable to form words as her eyes darted back and forth between the evaporating body of the dead beast and Byleth’s bleeding shoulder.

With a nod, Byleth made her way over to Dimitri and helped the boy back down onto the ground. Dimitri sighed in relief as his feet planted back on solid ground. The young boy was never more relieved.

“T-Thank you…”

Byleth heard the girl stumble for her words, clearly still in shock from the incident. Without another word said, Byleth led the children away from the area and back towards the edge of the woods. The sun now setting under the horizon.

“Go home, and do not return to this place,” Byleth spoke, her voice betraying no emotion as she gave the children a small push towards the direction of the city.

Byleth watched as the children bowed in thanks and slowly made their way back home.

“Better yet, forget all that you saw,” Byleth said under her breath, blood dripping down her arm and bleeding into the earth underneath. But her words were heard by the departing girl who took a quick glance back at the mysterious woman. Her blue eyes staring in their direction, but not quite at anything at all. Eyes filled with nothing but emptiness, lost in the void of long forgotten memories.

“It is easier… if you just forget.”


	2. A Princess's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A dragon recall a life from a distant past.
> 
> A princess wish to be better for her people.
> 
> Centuries after the Flame Emperor brought peace and stability to the Adrestian Empire, the rotten core of human greed has once again seeped back into the system.

Byleth did not like the rain. It brought back memories that she did not like. She lost her father on a rainy day too, in a world that once existed. A world that was forged in fire, iron and blood. A entire sea of blood. A world she helped build, and a world she watched torn right back apart. All the sacrifice wasted. What would she think of the world now if she was still here?

_‘What a pointless question,’_ Byleth shook the thought away.

The woman never would have tolerated her empire falling into the hands of opportunists in the first place. This was a failure on Byleth’s part.

Edelgard von Hresvelg.

A sigh escaped Byleth’s lips as she rested her head back against the tree she was under. It has been so long since the woman’s name rang in her mind. The last time Edelgard’s name escaped her lips was when she was kneeling by the woman’s bedside, watching her as she took her last breath, her body finally failing her under years of abuse, stress and war. The feeling of loss was indescribable. A stinging pain struck Byleth’s chest as she tried to force the memories away.

Time washed away many pain.

This was not one of them.

The rain pounded against Byleth’s scales as she turned her gaze to the grey sky.

“El…”

* * *

“Lady Edelgard, it is time for your lessons.”

The young girl teared her eyes away from the pouring rain outside her window and turned around to the sight of her instructor standing at her door. Edelgard sighed and climbed down her bed.

“It is my brother’s day today is it not? I have training with the captain later,” Edelgard complained. They were doing it again. The ministers always put her before Dimitri. The young girl hated it. Dimitri was her brother and he had a right to his lessons just as much as Edelgard did. They may not share the same mother but their father was very much the same person. They were the same family.

“That will not do, Lady Edelgard,” the old woman scowled at her words, “The weather outside has postponed training outside. Your schedule is now open and you will attend the lessons in place of the boy.”

The girl frowned, “The boy you speak of, is my brother. He should not be deprived of his lessons either.”

The old woman shook her head, repeating the same words she repeated every time the royal heir bring this issue up, “Your half-brother is not of royal blood. The future of the empire will fall on you when you are old enough to take the throne, never his. His lessons are given because your mother requested it so. But make no mistake, priorities will always be given to you, Lady Edelgard.”

“This empire functions by the accumulated efforts from the circle of ministers voted into power by the citizens,” Edelgard recited the lines she remember from her books, “The throne is to oversee and ensure all efforts are made for the benefit of the people. Who sits atop the throne does not change their absolute duty to the empire.”

_‘This is getting old_ ,’ Edelgard thought to herself as she sighed and turned her head back to the dark cloud outside. She might be young but she was no fool. She was wiser than many older than her. Everyone around her treat her as an innocent princess, but Edelgard won’t let anyone play her. The way they thought they could justify their favouritism to her because her brother was “not of royal blood” was absurd. Edelgard thought they would be over the issue by now, but perhaps they never will be.

It mattered not to her that her brother was born to another woman. That was what her mother taught her. Edelgard remember the crushed look on her mother’s face when they found out Edelgard actually has a brother, but it was quickly replaced with a grim smile. The saddest smile Edelgard had ever seen on her mother’s face. But her mother had told her that the boy did nothing wrong and sharing the same father, Edelgard will see him as a brother for as long as he will have her as a sister. If their family could accept that, no one else should have the right to raise Dimitri’s heritage as a problem.

Having her own lessons used against her, the old woman pursued her lips in frustration. “Do not forget who the late empress named you after, Lady Edelgard. Much is expected of you,” the vile woman glared at the girl, “Your presence is expected in the library. Make yourself presentable as soon as you can.”

Edelgard allowed herself to relax and sat herself down onto her bed once the footsteps outside faded. Some days, Edelgard just wanted to grow up already. She was tired of having someone breathing down her neck every minute of every day. She was tired of people treating her family like they were puppets to be dressed up on special occasions, and locked back in the cage when the night was over. She was Edelgard von Hresvelg and she will not be told when to do what by someone who did not have her family’s interest in mind.

Her mother had name her Edelgard, after the great Edelgard that pushed the Adrestian empire to be what it was today. Under her banner, the empire reformed and became the equal society it was continuously striving to be. History books her mother showed her always named the great Edelgard, as a just leader and fearless in the face of evil, and the small Edelgard now always knew her mother wanted her to grow to be just like that.

However, Edelgard also knew that everything came with a price. Her mother taught her that right after. Old parchments of battle reports of both civilian and military casualties, pictures of families and friends torn apart by war, destroyed statues and infrastructures of something that once was a beacon of hope for many. The rising empire under the first Edelgard, or the Flame Emperor in many of the parchments, swept away those who opposed her with no mercy, offering no salvation to those who sided with anyone against her ideals for equality. Even those who were once allies did not have a place in the empire if their methods were deemed unacceptable. Her mother showed her many documents secretly collected over centuries by the royal family and those they trusted the most. Edelgard’s mother had shown her the history that through time, was erased and forgotten.

When her mother closed the box of lost history and hid the box away, she had told her that when the time was right, it would be Edelgard’s turn to protect the box to the real history of their world. A box many wished gone but did not know existed.

_“Never forget, my dear Edelgard. With power, comes responsibilities. The blood that runs in me and you is power, but it is also a burden of responsibility that we must carry. We have the responsibility to make sure the real truth is remembered and revealed once again when the time is right. Even if we are not appreciated for it.”_

Edelgard glanced at a picture of her mother by her bed and remembered something her mother told her before she passed away that she still remember to this day.

_“If people forget the past, they are doomed to live it again.”_

When her mother was still alive, Edelgard loved her lessons. Her mother taught truth. She remember following her mother after lessons were over, and watched her mother in the throne room as she handled meetings with ministers and civilians alike. Her mother never did mind it. In fact she actively encouraged it, telling her that a good leader will take time to learn for those who are not willing. When the day was over, her mother would patiently answer any questions Edelgard had about anything during the meetings. Watching her mother handle state affairs made Edelgard strive to rule like her.

_“We must always remember why we make one decision over another,"_

Her mother had once said when Edelgard questioned why she made the decision to prioritize resources for farmers who lost their home, instead of giving it to the barracks in the area to up patrols of the bandits who burned down the farm.

_"_ _It is our responsibility to make sure we hold ourselves accountable for anything that happens as a result. Will you offer solutions for a current problem, or a solution for future problems? Helping someone now may cause more trouble in the future, but focusing too much on the future will make you forget about the present. Everything is about balance.”_

When her mother passed, her father hired an old woman who took over as her teacher. Edelgard disliked the woman. She taught her nothing that she could not learn from reading on her own, and made no attempt to answer questions Edelgard had about the empire that was not connected to the books in front of her. She was no longer allowed to listen in on meetings with the ministers that her mother used to allow. It was deemed “inappropriate”. Now, it was her father’s responsibility as the emperor. He never shares with her the things that are discussed inside. And unlike her mother who leave the throne room most of the time with a small smile on her face and her head held high, her father return from those meetings with a grim and defeated look on his face every time.

It did not take long for even a child like Edelgard to realize that her father held no power in the empire. The man held no authority like her mother. When her mother wanted something done, things got done. When her father asked for something, nothing got done. Her father was being burdened by something that was not his responsibility because he was not made to be a leader. The man took over her mother’s responsibilities because he loved her and understood what the late empress was aiming to achieve. Edelgard watch her father become more and more unhappy every day, taking on burdens that was not meant for him.

Edelgard loves and respected her dear father very much.

But she did not want to be like the man.

She wanted to be like her mother and she wanted to be like the great Edelgard.

Unfortunately, to be like her mother she must learn to shoulder her responsibilities as a princess. And right now, that meant bringing herself to the library for her unscheduled lesson. Edelgard dragged herself to her wardrobe and proceeded to make herself presentable for the morning ahead. When she was done, she grabbed the books from her table and was about to turn and leave when she spied Dimitri’s dagger on her table. Her brother gave it to her after their secret adventure in the woods.

A mischievous grin graced the princess’s face as she grabbed the dagger and tucked it in her belt under her warm cloak. Just because she had to attend an unscheduled lesson, it did not mean that someone else couldn’t also attend what otherwise would have been their regularly scheduled lesson.

No one ever said their lessons absolutely had to be a one-on-one lesson to start with anyway.


	3. Just a Little Mischievous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A princess takes a breather from her lessons and wanders back into the forbidden.
> 
> A dragon fights for her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apology for the delayed update. I got just a teensy bit too into writing the battle scenes.

“Taxation must be enforced to ensure the nation have a constant flowing source of income to use for the benefit of its person – the most common and steady source of taxation is on land ownership. During war time, form of taxation may be paid in form of grain, iron, stone and other resources that the crown determine to be essential…”

Edelgard sighed as she listened to the old woman drone on. She already read about this in the book given to her last week. Today’s lesson felt like a waste of time when she could have been using it to train with the captain. By the time the lesson will be over, the captain would be on his patrol and too busy to bother with her. She would have to wait for another day.

“Teacher, would it not be a bad thing to uphold taxes during war? People would be struggling to make a living, would it not be difficult to produce enough to pay tax and still survive?”

Annoyance showed on the old woman’s face, highlighting her wrinkled features as she turned to the person next to Edelgard to address the question, “The nation’s priority during war is to end the war as soon as possible. If we do not obtain the necessary resources to support and maintain our troops, the empire will fall. It is a citizen’s responsibility to provide for the nation to… are you listening, boy!?”

Dimitri jumped at the raise in the woman’s voice, “Y-Yes, teacher. I-I was just thinking…”

The woman sighed and turned back to the book in her hand as she attempted to continue her lesson, “Failure to provi-“

“But how can we determine what resources can be considered essential?” The boy asked as he looked at the shared book opened in front of him trying to find the answer in the text. Dimitri’s eyes glued to the pages made him miss the woman’s frustration at his constant interruptions.

“Dimitri, in a war we must protect our people, our land, and our resources,” Edelgard said as she flipped to a different section of the book and pointed to a picture of a blacksmith, “Resources are usually considered essential if it will contribute to the war effort. Iron to arm, rice to feed, and stone to repair. Different materials can be substituted for another if they serve the same purpose, for example wood can be used for infrastructure and steel could also be used for weapon and armour. However, the supply and cost must also be considered, as well as ease of transport. It is a lot heavier to carry a cart load of stone than it might be to carry a cart load of wood.”

Dimitri’s eyes widened at the detailed answer and quickly wrote down Edelgard’s words in his book and marked the page.

“As expected from your ladyship, wonderful answer!” The instructor smiled for the first time that day, “Your clear knowledge on the subject is astounding.”

Edelgard forced herself not to roll her eyes at the woman’s response. The mannerism would otherwise be considered unbecoming of her. But it was hard sometimes not to do so when people like her had such predictable responses.

“That’s incredible, El! How could you remember all of this?” Dimitri looked up at his sister in awe.

The princess smiled back at her brother, “As a Hresvelg, it is our responsibility to learn how our nation works. Mother taught me much of this.”

“Wow…” Dimitri’s eyes turned sad as he looked at the quill pen in front of him, “I wish she had taught me that too... my real mother never would’ve known about this.”

The atmosphere in the library turned cold at the careless mention of Dimitri’s mother. Their instructor snapped her book shut, the sound making Dimitri jump in his seat. “You are expected to address the princess with her full given name, or her title, as I’ve mentioned before. And as stated in the acceptance of you as an additional into the royal family, your mot-”

Realizing what was about to be said again, Edelgard jumped to her brother’s rescue, “Perhaps this is enough for today, teacher.” Edelgard stood up from her seat and closed her books, one of the few rare instances when she dismisses the teacher herself, “Dimitri, let’s go have lunch. I will show you my notes after.”

The woman pondered for a short while before finally giving a sharp nod, effectively ending the lessons, “Of course, Lady Edelgard. We shall continue tomorrow.” Gather her books, the woman added coldly before leaving, “Just the two of us

“I-I’m sorry, El,” Dimitri hung his head in shame, “I didn’t mean to…”

Edelgard shook her head, “Do not worry about that. It was not your fault.”

“B-But…”

The princess let out a small sigh and handed her brother her handkerchief as she watched a drop of tear threatening to drop from his eyes. His hands now resting on his knees, trembling.

She could understand why Dimitri would think this was his fault, but it never was. It was an unwritten understanding between her parents and the rest of the ministers that Dimitri would only be allowed to live out his life inside the castle if communications with his mother ceased on all front. All mention of his mother was forbidden and Dimitri was supposedly only allowed to address members of her family by their title. He was considered no more than a glorified guest. The rules were actively enforced by members in charge of the royal household, but most of the rules are not cared for by the royal family themselves.

If this was anyone’s fault, it was the fault of the ministers for forcing her parents to agree to a settlement such as this. Or perhaps it was her father’s fault for having a child with another when her mother was bearing her. Edelgard remember being upset at first, upset at her father loving another besides her mother, and upset her father loved another child more than herself. But her mother told her there was no point to be upset about what happened in the past, and told her to focus on making Dimitri’s life better instead.

“Come on, Dimitri,” Edelgard pulled her brother to his feet, “Let’s go get your mind off this thing.”

Dimitri shook his head, gathered his books and returned Edelgard’s handkerchief to her, “I think… I’m just going to rest a bit.”

“C’mon, Dimitri,” the girl grinned at him, “We could go for an adventure down in the woods again to cheer you up!”

Dimitri’s eyes widened at his sister’s daring proposal and shook his head even harder, “We can’t! We got told off last time by father remember? We’re not allowed to go back… and… last time…” His words trailed off at the memories of the incident from last week. A cold shiver ran up his back. Without another word, Dimitri left the library and returned to his room.

Edelgard could do nothing but watch in silence as her brother shuffled away. There was nothing she could do when Dimitri was going to sulk like that. Even though understanding why the boy felt that way, Edelgard wanted nothing to do with Dimitri when he goes into a mood like that. It dampens the whole day.

The princess glanced at the weather outside, the grey sky hid the sun behind the rain clouds making time impossible to tell. But if she had to guess, it probably would be a little before noon. The rain have stopped and Edelgard needed a breath of fresh air.

* * *

Byleth tightened her grip around sword that hung at her waist as she stared at the armed men in front of her. Judging from their stances, she could tell these men were experienced. But the way they spaced themselves between each other highlighted the fact that they were not used to fighting as an organized group. But she was up against a dozen men, and she was not who she used to be. Overestimating her own abilities might prove fatal.

No words were exchanged as they stared each other down. Everyone knew why they were there. Pleasantries were unnecessary. They were just waiting for the other to make the first move. Byleth’s eyes were drawn to one of the men hanging on the left flank of the group as he flexed his fingers before his grip settled back on his weapon. She drew a deep breath and her eyes zeroed into his shoulder twitching, a small signal of his impatience.

Byleth was prepared when the same man finally leaped forward, drew his axe and swung it at her. Her sword drawn to meet the attack, Byleth easily sidestepped the attack and shoved the man away with a quick push of her shoulder before driving her sword through his guts. At the sight of their brother in arms on the ground, the band of men charged towards her all at once.

With practiced movements, Byleth easily cut down the first four men, and managed to disarm another four before the men realized they should not be charging at her head on.

“Get her flank!”

Byleth parried the sword aimed at her throat and twisted her sword in her hand to slam the hilt into her attacker’s helmet, pushing the metal right back into their skull. Spinning around on her heels, she backed her elbow into the same man’s back, forcefully knocking another man out of combat. Just as she was about to grab hold of the next closest man, an arrow whizzed past her target and hit her right in shoulder. The arrow bounced off her scales harmlessly but the impact caused a spark and before Byleth realized something was off, she was blinded by a sudden explosion near her shoulder, the explosive force knocking her back into the tree lines.

“The tip was good.”

“Make sure all the explosive heads hit her.”

A sharp ring echoed in Byleth’s ear as she tried to pull herself back up onto her feet. Disoriented, Byleth leaned against the tree as she tried her best to blink the blurry vision away. An explosive arrow tip. She should have seen that coming. The last time a band of men came at her, she was wounded deep by the improvised bombs they threw at her that unexpectedly shattered her scales. Her body was so worn down by the end she was too weak to even chase down the last few of the men. It made sense the survivors would share their newfound intel.

Her shoulder was numb and she could feel something warm sliding down her arm. No doubt the explosive arrowheads did what they were meant for. It wasn’t an agonizing pain like last time so it probably just broke off some scales, rather than shatter it outright. Byleth was glad for the weakened firepower. She would not have to spend all night pulling out pieces of her scales from her flesh. It was definitely not a fun night.

“Giving up?”

Byleth grunted and pushed herself from the tree and slowly made her way back to the remaining three men – two archers and a swordsman. Her vision was coming back to her and she could stand upright again.

“And you call yourself a dragon knight,” the bigger man of the three spat at the ground near her feet, and stepped forward with his big sword resting on his shoulder, “I expected more of a fight.”

A small flash flew into her vision. Byleth immediately held her sword in front of her body as a shield and bit down on her lips to stop the cry of pain in her shoulder as the arrow exploded in front of her, pushing her back a few steps.

“Your time is up, beast,” the big man spoke again as he lifted up his sword and pointed it at her, “The last of your kind… It must be sad watching they all die. Perhaps it is time for you to join them.”

Byleth gave no response as she held her arm out, focusing the growing energy in her palm to the men in front of her. Ember flickered in her eyes as she watched her flame engulfed one of the archer. His scream falling on deaf ears as she showed no sign of releasing the magic.

Worried for his life, the last archer quickly nocked an arrow at the woman in his sight and released the string from his shaking fingers. The arrow flew straight and true towards Byleth’s head. Seeing that the big man with the sword simply watched on in amusement and showed no intent to attack her yet, Byleth took a chance and slammed her sword into the earth underneath her. With her now free hand, a glow of blue formed in her palm and the arrow flying towards Byleth was swallowed in ice. A flick of her hand turned the arrow around and send it back through the archer’s chest.

When the scream finally died down, Byleth allowed her arm drop back down and watched as the fire faded away leaving nothing but ash at the spot the archer once stood. Retrieving her sword, Byleth rolled her shoulder and prepared herself for the last man standing. She was keen to get this over and done with.

“So you _were_ holding back,” the man smirked as he too readied himself, “Allow this future Sir Kelridge to be your opponent, dragon. This world no longer has a place for the likes of you. Prepare youself.”

“Kelridge…” The name burned on Byleth’s tongue as she recalled where she heard the name before, “Butcher of the North.”

The smirk on the man’s face grew bigger at Byleth’s mentioned of his nickname, “Close guess, beast. Unfortunately that is my old man. I was unable to inherit his title even after I handed his head to the authorities. But the bounty did nicely allowed me to upgrade my sword before I came here. After I bring back your head, the crown will see fit to grant me knighthood in return. I will be known as Sir Kelridge. My name will surpass that of my father.”

“Like father like son,” Byleth narrowed her eyes at Kelridge’s confession. She disliked the father just as much as the son that stood in front of her. The father was a notorious mercenary in the north known to pillage villages as if they were still at war. Kelridge was a name so cursed Byleth had heard whispers of even in a secluded location like hers.

The man shrugged and once again pointed his blade at Byleth with a sinister smile on his face, “Shall I christen this blade with dragon blood?” With a cry, the man charged forward.

A pair of eyes looked on in shock at the battle that was unfolding in front of her. Glancing around the empty woods, bodies could be seen strewn around the area. Broken branches, blackened spots on the ground with flickers of flame that were dying off – everything pointed out to a rough battle that had taken place.

“YOU ARE WEAK, DRAGON!”

A grunt from Byleth served as the response to the man as the man brought the weight of his blade down onto Byleth’s sword, pushing her to her knee under the force. The ground groaning in return as it cracked underneath.

“You will fall. Your time has come.” Kelridge kicked the woman off balance under his blade and pulled his weapon back to stab her right in the chest.

“NO!” The girl watching the battle from the shadow of the trees clamped her hands over her mouth at her outburst. She did not mean to bring attention to herself but she lost control of herself when she realized the stranger that saved her life could possibly die. Edelgard refuse to let a debt go unrepaid.

Byleth took advantage of the distraction and jumped back onto her feet, running her sword through the big man in front of her before he could react. To make sure the killer in front of her would never have a chance to recover, Byleth pulled back her blade and gave the man a clean cut to his throat. The lifeless body slumped backward, the big sword fallen right back on its wielder.

Feeling the adrenaline in her body fading, Byleth allowed her body to relax and she collapsed onto the soft earth. Her consciousness fading as her ears picked up the sounds of footsteps running towards her. Last thing her brain could register was a pair of amethyst orbs look at her. Only one person had eyes like that, and Byleth welcomed the darkness that took over her mind. It was time she was reunited with her lover.


	4. The Dragon's Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dragon wakes up and found the past staring right back at them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize at the delayed update, again. I had to rewrite this chapter too many times because I was not satisfied with it. I still am not, and unfortunately I don't think I ever will be. Nonetheless, please do enjoy.

Byleth groaned at the throbbing pain on her shoulder. Her whole body felt like it went through an entire war with no rest in between. Memories of the heated battle fought made her eyes shot wide open, the sudden adrenaline locking her muscles and pushing her body up.

“Stay down,” a soft voice commanded gently, and a hand pushed her back down firmly onto the bed.

Slowly, Byleth allowed her eyes to wander around the sight before her – the book shelf on the wall, the fire cracking in the fireplace and her sword resting by the corner of the door. The familiarity of her home gave her the peace she needed to sigh and relax back into bed.

“Here,” the voice spoke again as Byleth felt something wet pressed again her wounded shoulder through her damaged aromour the coolness of it was welcomed as it numbed her pain and reawakened her clarity. For the first time since she woke, Byleth realized there was another person in her home.

“Is that a little better?”

Byleth looked up to see a pair of concerned eyes staring right back at her, her own face reflecting in a pair of purple jewels. “El…” Her hands reaching up at the face above her own.

“Y-Yes…?” Edelgard blinked at the stranger in front of her, the coolness of her armoured hands caressing her cheeks ever so gently.

“Impossible…” Byleth whispered under her breath. Her vision was becoming blurry again and her focus was coming and going.

Edelgard looked at the woman in confusion, “I’m sorry?” How had the stranger known her name? Had Dimitri and herself introduced themselves last time? Edelgard did not remember, although it seemed unlikely. She was always taught not to introduce herself until another does so she may assess whether or not introducing herself will prove to be a fatal mistake. As the heir to the Adrestian Empire, she must always be on a look out.

Shaking her thoughts away, Edelgard placed another damp towel over Byleth’s forehead. “I think you might just be a little disoriented from your fever,” the princess stated, “Your body is a lot warmer than it should be.”

Unable to handle the overstimulation from her constant blurring vision, Byleth rested her good arm over her eyes, shielding herself from everything. “It… It means I am healing… that’s what… happens…” Byleth’s speech slowly slurring into incoherent words, her body and mind feeling like iron sinking in the sea.

“I may not be skilled in the art of healing,” Edelgard admitted softly, “But surely normal body temperature is not this high, even under all that armour.”

There was no response. Byleth has fallen back into a slumber. With a sigh, Edelgard stood up and took the small pot of bloodied water over to the sink next to the crudely built stove, and emptied its content, listening curiously as the water ran back outside the house to be lost in the earth.

Leaving the pot in the sink, Edelgard turned back and looked at the sleeping figure in front of her. Byleth’s chest rose and fell in time with her even breathing. Her wounds have long stopped bleeding, but injuries from the battle were still visible everywhere. Her clothes were sliced and ripped in many places, her hair still stuck with several pieces of the forest, and numerous places on her body had visible but minor cuts. She would stir once in a while but never enough to suggest she may wake again any time soon.

What was she to do now? Edelgard had not anticipated that the stranger in front of her would collapse like she had right after the battle, but when she did, Edelgard could not bring herself to just leave the woman alone. She had a debt to repay. But that debt has led Edelgard into dragging the woman into a wooden cabin that was hidden behind the trees nearby. By sheer luck, Edelgard managed to spy a glimpse of it when she was pondering what to do. So naturally, after making sure the place was empty, Edelgard settled the woman inside where she could recover in peace.

Up until now, Edelgard’s goal was to make sure the woman in front of her had her wound cleaned up and was safe from any more danger. She did not know how to remove her armour, so cleaning her wounds was a difficult thing to do. But she has completed both tasks now, and she did not know what else to do. The rain was pouring outside once again and the forest was now covered by a coat of rain. Edelgard would not feel safe wandering into the unknown with such obstructed vision just to try her luck on returning home in time. Her plan was to explore the forest, not to watch an injured person. There was nothing for her to do while she waited. With nothing to do, Edelgard released yet another sigh and began to study the place she was in.

Decoration was minimal. The most worth furnishing was perhaps the sword that Edelgard had pryed from the woman’s grip and placed besides the door. Edelgard did not think it was appropriate to bring it into the rest of the house when the blade was still stained with blood. Besides that and the books above the small fireplace, nothing in the house was worth noting. The basic furnishings almost suggesting to Edelgard that the owner of this place was a fairly simple person. Perhaps this place served as a hunting cabin for some locals.

Edelgard turned her attention to the bookshelf on the wall. Her fingers trailing the dark wood structure as she read the few titles that was standing, “History of the Adrestian Empire… Wars of Fodlan… Garreg Mach Monastery and the Prestigious Officers Academy… Dragon Knights of Seiros… The Power of Crests… These are all really old books… and restricted…” All books on crests were marked as restricted in the library and were only allowed access by individuals of certain stations for reasons Edelgard could not understand. It never interested her to look deeper into it.

The princess debated between the book on dragon knights or the monastery, but settled for the latter. There was some books on dragon knights in the library and Edelgard never found the interest to read the books on warriors lost to the past. Grabbing the book on the monastery, she sat herself down on the chair next to the bed. The name of the monastery has been mentioned maybe once or twice at most, during her lectures on the great Edelgard, but Edelgard had never thought it was anything more than a symbolic location during the war that united Fodlan under the Adrestian banner. She was more than intrigued to see a book on such a location, not to mention the fact that Edelgard has never seen this book in the royal library, and that alone was a good reason to give this book a quick peak.

The moment Edelgard opened the book, something slipped out but the princess was able to catch it just in time. It was a sketch of what looked like their throne room with two figures in the centre, one sitting on top of the throne and one standing next to it. Looking closer, Edelgard could make out the standing figure to be someone who looked like the woman in bed and the other smaller figure looked familiar to her but she could not recognize them. Edelgard flipped the sketch over and scrawled on the bottom corner was a small line of text.

_El’s Coronation, 1180_

“1180!” Edelgard gasped, “That’s the year the great Edelgard ascended the throne!”

Flipping the sketch over again Edelgard could make out the distinctive feature of the emperor’s young figure. Without a doubt, this was a sketch of the coronation. If this was coloured and a little bigger, it would have looked very similar to images in her namesake’s history books.

Looking between the woman by her side and the similar looking person in the sketch, Edelgard’s mind could not understand how they look so alike. Perhaps her ancestors once served the great emperor. Edelgard made a mental note to question the stranger when she wakes. The princess flipped through the rest of the loose sketches tucked into the book and saw they were all sketches of people who looked slightly older than her with matching uniforms, armoured soldiers and just one of a young girl who Edelgard did not recognize at all.

_Sothis_

“Sothis…” Edelgard made a face. The name did not ring a bell. Perhaps an ancestor, or a friend of a family member. Judging from the condition of the paper in her hand, no doubt the sketch was just as old as the others.

Edelgard inserted everything back into the book and flipped to the first page of the book.

* * *

When Edelgard opened her eyes, she was greeted by the smell of roasted meat and clattering sounds. Sitting back up properly, Edelgard saw the strange woman moving about placing food on the table and grabbing things here and there as if she knew where everything was.

“Just in time for food, I see,” Byleth spoke as she put everything used into the sink.

Edelgard watched the woman move about as if she had not just looked like she was on the brink of death earlier. Suddenly, the princess jumped out of the chair in alarm, “How long have I been asleep!?”

“It has been a few hours since I woke,” Byleth answered as she gestured towards the empty seats by the table, “Food?”

Edelgard’s stomach growled at the request but the girl shook her head. It was always safer for her in general not to take food from someone she did not know closely. Even though something in her body told her there was nothing to worry about. It was odd. Not once since Edelgard met this woman, did she ever felt a tinge of threat coming from the woman. She was dangerous for sure, but she was not threatening to her. Yet Edelgard could not understand why.

“All the more for me,” Byleth stated before diving into her meal, flipping through a book on the table casually as she ate. It was the same book that Edelgard was reading earlier. No doubt the woman took it from the girl’s hands when she woke.

“Are you feeling better?” Edelgard asked as she looked at Byleth’s shoulder. The woman seemed to have changed while she slept, donning an old black robe that hung from her shoulders. Her armour now sat next to her sword by the door. The arms of the woman was still bare however, as the empty sleeves of the robe swaying by her side. Under the candle lights, Edelgard thought she saw dark patches of something on the woman’s arms every time the woman moved to flip a page, but she decided it was disrespectful to stare and looked away. It could very well just have been battle scares. Byleth simply nodded in response as she continued to indulge in her food.

The princess should be appalled by the lack of manners at the table, the woman stuffing her face with whatever was closest to her. Yet Edelgard found the woman oddly amusing. Here was a woman who hours ago took down a man twice the size of Edelgard, and presumably the others she saw too, stuffing food in her mouth with eyes sparkling in a way that Edelgard could only describe as joy.

“This is your home?”

Byleth nodded again as she washed her food down with a swig of water before finally speaking, “You knew where I lived?”

“I didn’t. This was simply the closest place I could find that seemed safe,” Edelgard replied.

“Ah,” Byleth let out, before returning to the book in front of her.

Edelgard swallowed her hunger as she watched the juicy meat disappear into the woman’s mouth. The princess tore her eyes away. It was dinner time and that meant it was time she went home. The girl stood up and straightened the wrinkles in her clothes.

“It’s still raining outside, it’ll be a while before you can get home safe,” Byleth said, “Are you sure you don’t want to eat now?”

Edelgard opened the door slightly and shivered at the cold wind that slipped in. Sunlight was nowhere to be seen, covered by the rainclouds above. She could see as far as the clearing and the trees that circled it which still carried the scars of the previous battle, anything further was obscured by darkness.

“I must return,” Edelgard said worriedly as she looked around the dark forest from behind the door, “Everyone will be looking for me.”

“You cannot journey on an empty stomach, child,” Byleth scolded the girl, “Eat. Then I will take you back to the outer edge.”

“I have a name…” Edelgard muttered as she closed the door. For a second Edelgard wondered if this was how Dimitri felt all the time, being referred to as “boy”. Edelgard never had anyone refer to her with anything less than her name or her titles before. It was refreshing, but not in a good way. Regardless, the woman was right, it was impossible to go out now without risking getting lost. It was better to have eaten something beforehand if she was going to get lost.

Already seeing that the woman have eaten so much already, Edelgard took a gamble and grabbed a plate for herself as she sat at the table. If she could eat that much and not fall, surely the food was not poisoned or drugged in any way. The princess grabbed the fork on the table and stabbed it into her food to take a careful bite. The meat was cooked well, but blandly seasoned compared to the food the royal chefs prepares for her. However there was a touch of something citrus in the taste that Edelgard rarely tastes in her usual food. It was an odd flavouring, but she quite liked it.

“Thank you,” Edelgard said softly as she took another bite of the food, “For preparing the meal.”

“I had to eat anyway” Byleth explained, “I have to eat to heal properly. Recovery is slowed when I do not eat after a battle.”

“Do you kill bad man like that often?” Edelgard asked when the memories of Byleth’s fight resurfaced.

Byleth’s hands stopped half way through turning a page and Edelgard became worried that she made the wrong choice for conversation. She was simply trying to understand the person before her. Edelgard was drawn to the woman, yet she could not understand why. She knew nothing about her except her strength in battle.

“I do not choose it,” Byleth replied sadly as she closed the book in front of her. Her interest in remembering the past fading. The woman gave Edelgard an appreciative nod before resuming her meal, “Thank you regardless, for saving my life. Your distraction was timed well.”

“You’re welcome…” Edelgard mumbled in embarrassment as she recalled her outburst. Her face dipping low to hide the red climbing up her cheeks.

“Although I do remember telling you not to return, girl,” Byleth growled, “Are you incapable of following orders?”

“You don’t tell me what to do,” Edelgard narrowed her eyes at her, “ _I_ tell _you_ what to do!”

For the first time since their encounter Byleth laughed. Her laughter was rough but warm to Edelgard’s ears. Her laughter eventually trailed off when her chest started hurting from the dulling pain that still lingered from the fight. “You are an amusing child,” Byleth chuckled as she refilled her drink.

“Edelgard.”

The cup stopped an inch from Byleth’s lips and her eyes widened. Placing the cup back down, Byleth looked at the girl in front of her intently, “I beg your pardon?”

“My name is Edelgard,” Edelgard frowned, “Stop calling me a child.”

“Edelgard…” Byleth touched her own lips unconsciously, the name rolling off her tongue with ease. It has been so long since that name was spoken by her, and yet it felt only like yesterday she was whispering that name in love. “I am surprised they let anyone name a child with her name.”

“Why would they not?” Edelgard asked.

“The ministers have a known tendency to ruin anyone who can even bring a smidge of darkness to the name of the great emperor,” Byleth explained, “Unless you’re royalty, I highly doubt…” Byleth’s words trailed off and she studied the girl in front of her. The purple eyes, the quality of the clothing, the mannerism… besides her hair, everything was almost a perfect copy. How did she not see this before?

Edelgard’s guard instantly drew up as she saw the recognition in Byleth’s eyes. Her hand resting on the dagger on her belt. Those were the eyes on people when they realize who she is. This was a moment for her to learn whether this person in front of her is a friend or a foe.

“Hresvelg…”

Byleth’s brow peaked up when she noticed the guarded posture of the child in front of her at the mention of her family name. A sad smile formed on her face. They were a true likeness now that she took the time to look closer. Even the way their reactions. The resemblance was eerie.

A sigh escaped Byleth’s lips, “I mean you no harm, child. I simply was not expecting someone like you to step inside my home after so long.”

“You speak as if you’ve met someone like me before?” Edelgard questioned.

Byleth spoke no further, placed the remaining food on Edelgard’s table and gathered the rest of the dishes to begin the clean-up process. Edelgard studied the woman’s feature, she was deep in thought. Her eyes no longer shone like they did when she was eating. It was saddening. Whatever was going through her mind, it was enough to pull her into her own world.

“So what’s your name?” Edelgard spoke up, determined to clear the air of awkwardness that was growing, “You know mine, it only seems fair that I know yours.”

There was a short moment of silence before a reply was heard over the water at the sink, “Byleth.”

Byleth. It was not a name familiar to Edelgard, but certainly a name she will remember now. Perhaps she could ask the old woman about it at her lesson tomorrow. Although, judging by the tone of Byleth’s voice, it did not sound like she held a particularly positive view of the government which probably meant that if the old woman knew her, it was not in a good way.

“Finish your food quickly, before the royal guard gets sent here,” Byleth said, her voice as grim as her eyes, “I will be outside when you are ready to go” The woman left the house without waiting for a response.

Edelgard ate the rest of her food quietly, listening to nothing but the rain and the constant banging of metals outside. She was worried in the beginning, but she could see Byleth’s head bobbing up and down outside the window working on something, so Edelgard knew whatever that sound was, everything was okay. Seeing the closed book still sitting on the table, Edelgard considered continuing her reading, but seeing how this was actually Byleth’s house and the woman did not seem to be in a good mood, the princess decided against it.

When Edelgard finally finished her food, the sound of metals have long ceased. The rain however, only seemed have grown stronger. Pulling her cloak closer to her body, she finally pushed herself to leave the warmth of Byleth’s home.

“Over here,” Byleth’s voice came from around the other side of the house the moment Edelgard closed the door behind her..

Edelgard followed the sound and to her surprise, saw a forge standing on the side of the house, something she never noticed before. Byleth was sitting on some animal fur on the ground as she worked on something in front of her. Around the forge, there were all manners of weapons and shields and armours sitting around. In the corner of the pile, Edelgard recognized the large blade that the man who attacked Byleth wield.

“Are you ready to go?” Byleth asked without looking up.

Edelgard nodded, “I am. Thank you for the meal.”

Byleth stood up and turned to look deeper into the forest before giving a sharp whistle. Edelgard watched on curiously as the woman then turned back to her work and picked something up from the side of the forge.

“Come,” Byleth waved the girl over. Edelgard complied and made her way towards the forge. The fire in the forge was small but the warmth was still felt when Edelgard stood right next to it. Edelgard did not even think it odd that the fire was still able to burn under the rain. Judging from what she saw during the battle, Edelgard knew Byleth was at least knowledgeable in magic, if not excelling in the art of it.

Byleth kneeled down on the ground and put her arms around Edelgard’s neck. The girl pulled back out of instinct, and Byleth gave her a small nod before withdrawing, “The size fits well.”

Looking down, Edelgard realized the woman had put an amulet around her neck. Her hands lifting up the object hung, the girl looked at the reflection of the fire on it. “Is this… a scale?” Edelgard asked as she inspected the piece.

“It is,” Byleth responded and her hands reached out to touch the scale in Edelgard’s small hands. The scale was almost the size of the child’s palm but it’s lightness in weight made the object feel no different than a regular piece of jewellery.

Edelgard’s eyes darted to the woman’s arm, the dark patches much more visible now that she was closer. And Edelgard realized they were not battle scars, but patches of dark green-blue coloured scales.

“Is it yours?” the girl asked as unconsciously reached out towards the nearest patch on Byleth’s arm. If she turned her head just right, the scale on the woman’s arm almost looked teal. She remembered vaguely now, the first time she saw the woman in the forest, the woman’s body was also covered with scales. Was it a sickness? A curse? Edelgard’s knowledge on dragons was so very limited.

Byleth pulled back from the girl’s reach and gave her no answer. “This is infused with magical properties that helps ward of evil,” the woman said as she took the scale from the girl’s palm and tucked it under her shirt, “Small beasts in this forest should not bother you as long as you have this around your neck.”

Sounds of small steps behind her tore Edelgard’s attention away from the woman to a great wolf that was padding towards her. Edelgard yelped and immediately backed away into the woman. She has seen sketches of great wolves in story books and knew they were very rare but she never expected to see one stand right in front of her. The wolf stood an entire head taller than her, towering over the child. Byleth lifted the girl into the air and sat her onto the creature despite her protest.

“W-What are you doing!? Put me back down!” Edelgard struggled in Byleth’s hold but could not break free from the woman.

“Put your arms around him and do not let go,” Byleth instructed as she guided the small arms around the neck of the wolf, “Hubert will take you home. It will be faster.”

“I don’t know how to ride him, I will fall!” Edelgard cried out like the child she was, but hung on nonetheless, “Put me back down!”

Byleth made no gesture to even indicate that she was listening to Edelgard. The woman placed her palm on the head of the great wolf and Hubert’s eyes closed, as if he was focusing on something. “I’ve shown Hubert how to get there. This Hubert is the smartest one out of all my previous Huberts, he will take you straight home,” Byleth gave the wolf a quick pet on the head before turning her attention back to the girl who was hanging tight to the creature in fear, “Just hold tight and do not pull on his fur. He won’t like that.”

“Now go, Hubert!” Byleth gave the wolf a pat in his back leg and the wolf dashed out into the rain with the royal princess clinging to him like a baby clinging to their mother.


End file.
